Only the name is the same
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A: The Broadway production was ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman,’ which premiered at the Broadhurst Theater in New York City, running from May 1993 to July 1995. Vanessa L. Williams replaced Tony-winning actress Chita Rivera in the role of Spider Woman/Aurora in 1994. Williams is the first African-American Miss America (1983), though she later relinquished her crown because of the publication of questionable photos. She is often confused with namesake Vanessa A. Williams, who is also an actress.
Q: Did Elvis Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, have any experience in managing entertainers before taking over the future of Elvis? Was he a real colonel? ‘ H.T., Anniston, Ala.
A: He promoted Eddy Arnold, Minnie Pearl and Hank Snow before working with Elvis. He received the honorary title ‘Colonel’ in the 1940s from Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis for the work Parker did for Davis’ election campaign.
Q: Which Major League Baseball pitcher holds the National League record for most career home runs? ‘ M.M.D., Vancouver, Wash.
A: Warren Spahn (1921-2003). He hit 35 home runs during his career.
Q: I have a follow-up question about Grant Wood’s painting ‘American Gothic.’ Is the house in the background a real home, or is it from the imagination of the artist? ‘ P.L., Provo, Utah
A: The house in the 1930 painting is real; it is located in the small town of Eldon, Iowa. The couple, Wood’s sister and dentist, posed in a studio; the house was subsequently added to the painting. The structure is widely known as the ‘American Gothic’ house, but it is also called the ‘Dibble House,’ named after the owner of the property during its construction in the 1880s. The State Historical Society of Iowa now owns the Carpenter Gothic-style home, and the painting hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.
Q: Several years ago, our family stopped by a former coal facility for a tour in the mine. One of the displays was an apparatus that took a sample of air from the mine. The air was sucked into the device at a high volume, forcing any dust particles in the air to adhere to a coating on a piece of glass. These particles were then counted under a microscope. The process measured the amount of dust in the mine. This measuring device had a name. Can you tell me what it was? ‘ M.W.B., Syracuse, N.Y.
A: A ‘konimeter,’ or ‘Zeiss konimeter.’
Q: I have a question about the TV comedy ‘Cheers.’ Obviously, Cheers is the name of a basement bar. There is a business upstairs. What is its name? ‘ K.M., Kalamazoo, Mich.
A: Melville’s Fine Sea Food.
Q: According to an e-mail trivia list, Estee Lauder, founder of the cosmetic company, was born Josephine Esther Mentzer. What nationality is she? How did she come up with the last name Lauder? ‘ L.C., Hammond, La.
A: The future co-founder of the giant cosmetic company grew up in Corona, Queens, N.Y., to Hungarian immigrant parents. She married Joseph Lauter in 1930, divorced him and then remarried him. They changed their family name to Lauder in the late 1930s. She died in her Manhattan residence in 2004. Her birth year is not known, but her age at the time of her death is believed to be between 95 and 97.
(Send your questions to Mr. Know-It-All, c/o United Feature Syndicate, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.)